New Delhi

Vicky Kaushal, Ammy Virk and Triptii Dimri will soon be seen in the film Bad Newz. The movie is about a girl who gets pregnant but doesn't know who the father is. This condition is known as heteropaternal superfecundation in medical terms. So what is it? In this case, two eggs released in the same cycle are fertilised but by the sperm of two different men. This happens when a woman has sex with two different men within a short period of time. So the resulting twins have two different biological fathers.

Advertisment

This is an extremely rare condition in humans but is common in dogs, cats and cows. To date, only 19 cases of heteropaternal superfecundation have been reported worldwide. 

How does heteropaternal superfecundation happen?

During a regular cycle, ovaries build up follicles, all of which, except one, degenerate eight days later. This one follicle develops the egg and ejects it around day 14. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) regulates this process, so if the FSH levels are high, multiple ovulations can happen. This results in two eggs being ejected by the same ovary, or one each by two ovaries. 

Advertisment

It is impossible to say how many such cases have actually happened since they can only be revealed if someone contests paternity. 

It can occur if a woman has sex before the egg is released and then again with another man after the egg is released. Since sperms can survive for a few days in the reproductive tract, chances are that if two eggs are released, one each gets fertilised by the two men.

Also Read: Study suggests sports enthusiasts have more rewarding and fulfilling lives

Advertisment

Cases of  heteropaternal superfecundation 

Not a lot is known about all the cases of the said condition. In 2009, a woman in Dallas gave birth to a pair of such twins. Mia Washington gave birth to twins Justin and Jordan while she was with her fiancee James Harrison. She admitted that she had an affair during the time the twins were conceived. Since the twins looked extremely different, they had a paternity test and it was revealed that they were fathered by different men. 

In 2013, another such case came out in Turkey where the parents took a paternity test since one of the twins had a different blood group. They said that one of the children was not theirs. The results found that the second twin was not fathered by the husband of the woman. 

About the film Bad Newz

The film, just like Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor starrer Good Newz, is based on sperm confusion. Bad Newz, despite dealing with a sensitive matter, promises to be a humorous ride. The film releases on July 19.